


Movie night and confessions

by Ellysees



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, John is Frodo, John is a Saint, John understands, Johnlock - Freeform, JohnlockChallenges Exchange, LOTR reference, Love Confessions, M/M, Misunderstood Sherlock, Movie Night, Not really though, Prompt Fic, Protective John, Sherlock Feels, Sherlock is Sam, Sherlock is bad at emotions, Sherlock projecting his fears, Sweet, secret feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 14:55:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11292999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellysees/pseuds/Ellysees
Summary: Sherlock reluctantly agrees to watch a Lord of The Rings Marathon with John, but when reaching the scene where Frodo sends Sam away, Sherlock gets distressed. At first John is confused as to why, but quickly realizes Sherlock’s grief is a projecting of his own fear of John leaving him. In the end confessions are made and a happy ending ensured





	Movie night and confessions

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt I received at a Johnlock facebook group I recently joined. I hope you enjoy this story Kate and Jeni and that it meets you expatiations :)

John exited the kitchen in 221B Bakerstreet with two wineglasses in one hand and a nice red wine in the other. Sherlock and he had just closed a grueling case late last night and both men had decided to reward themselves with starting their weekend early and staying home today.

 

The day had started with both men sleeping in. John found himself being up before his roommate for once and had taken the opportunity to cook them both a proper English breakfast. 30 minutes later Sherlock had finally emerged from his room, driven by the lovely smell of freshly brewed coffee and bacon. Sherlock hardly ate when on a case, but John knowing Sherlock as well as he did knew that this amounted in the man building an astonishing appetite the day after a case closed.

John had made sure to stack Sherlock’s plate high with scrambled eggs, bacon, beans and toast and had then watched with fondness as the detective dug into his meal with vigor. Sherlock had even, willingly, helped with the dishes afterwards which John knew was Sherlock’s silent way of saying ‘Thank you’.

The rest of the was spent in lazy content. Sherlock had played his violin for some time, updated his website on tobacco ashes and started a few new experiments involving acids different reaction patterns on various surfaces and textiles. John had spent his day writing up their case and updated it to his blog, sorted through some paperwork that had mounted up from his clinic hours and even dug out some of his old jumpers he no longer wore, to let Sherlock experiment on. The smile Sherlock had offered him had been payment enough and John had felt his heart swell as he watched his detective study the test samples intensively. He’d however soon forced himself to look away. Lately he’d found himself staring more and more at Sherlock. John had grown incredibly aware of how everything Sherlock did, he did with beauty. Whether it being parading around a crime scene being brilliant or when played his violin or as now, when he was bent over his microscope working on his experiments. John doubted Sherlock knew, but whenever he was this deeply involved in his research his tongue would peak out just ever so slightly at the corner of his mouth and it was the most ridiculously adorable thing John had ever witnessed in his life.

But John never allowed his stares or thoughts to linger for long. Sherlock was after all ‘married to his work’ and he wouldn’t risk the friendship they had built together. He knew Sherlock hardly ever opened up to people, as he had been burnt by other people’s betrayals so many times all throughout his youth and early adulthood. John still had to suppress the burning anger that always threatened to overcome him when he thought of all those horrible stories Sherlock had shared a night they’d both dived a little too deep into a shared whiskey bottle. John had learned that nearly all his life, Sherlock had been the victim of mockery because of his eccentric nature and people who’d used and manipulated him for his abilities and looks, only to discard him when he’d served his purpose. Sherlock had been like any other teenager in those days, desperate to fit in and willing to do whatever it took to be accepted. He’d given up so many pieces of himself until there was nothing left to give. This had been the cause that’d made Sherlock label himself as a sociopath and building up his walls of emotionlessness indifference to the rest of the world, never allowing anyone to get that close to him again.

John was not one to flatter himself, but it was obvious that since his arrival Sherlock had been able to offer up more of his true self more and not just to John but Mycroft, Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson as well. To be one of the chosen few to be allowed to fill such a big part of Sherlock’s life was all he could hope for. So John fought to keep his feelings buried as deeply as he could and carried on like the soldier he was.

 

John put down the glasses and wine on the coffee table. Sherlock was already seated in the sofa. Leaning against the corner, his right arm draped over the back. His face bore an expression of reluctance as John fished out the DVD box.

“I want you to know John, I think this is a complete waste of time and I’m only agreeing to this because you are offering a La Prohibicion wine to make it bearable.” He said. John couldn’t help but chuckle. “You can pout all you want Sherlock, but you can’t expect telling me you’ve never seen as epic and essential a movie trilogy as Lord of the Rings and then not expect me to do anything about it.” This seemed to only deepen Sherlock’s pout even more. “I wanted to watch the documentary on bees.” He muttered lowly. John delivered a teasing slap to Sherlock’s knee. “Don’t be such a mood killer Sherlock, I’m taping that documentary for you. We’ll watch it next time I promise, but tonight..” John held up the three DVDs. “We’re going on an adventure!” He exclaimed enthusiastically. Honestly having an excuse to sit close to Sherlock for the next conceivable amount of time was the biggest reason for his excitement. Getting to watch his favorite movie trilogy was just a bonus.

Sherlock sighed; “Fiiine.. Just put the first one in already and let’s get this over with!” John smiled. “Trust me, you’ll love it.” He said as he guided the first disk into the DVD player. Sherlock huffed. “I doubt it.” But poured two glasses of wine and settled himself comfortable into the cushions anyway.

John was quick to join him as the opening credits started to flash across the screen.   


\---  


John awoke, his head groggy and with a feeling of uneasiness. He was half sitting half laying on the sofa. The soft hum of “Return of the King” was still running on the TV.

He’d made it through the first two movies alright. As the story had progressed John had witnessed with glee as Sherlock, despite his best efforts had been thoroughly engulfed in the plot. Halfway through the second movie Sherlock had been so emerged that he’d thrown his long legs onto John’ lap to make himself more comfortable. John’s heart had almost skipped a beat at that point. He’d forced himself to just gently rest his hands atop Sherlock’s pajamas clad legs, suppressing his desire to caress the long limbs. But as he’d put in the last DVD, Sherlock complaining about John’s lack of speed in doing so, John had found himself softly nodding off after only 30 minutes, the warmth and comfort of being so close to Sherlock pulling him under quickly. Something however had awoken him from his soft slumber. John was a light sleeper, a trait he’d gained while in the army. His body was tuned to react to any form of danger or conflict, even asleep.

As his head started to clear a bit John noticed he was lacking the warmth of his beautiful detective besides him. He however quickly located the man as a distressed voice filled the room; “No, no, no.. This is WRONG!” John was immediately alert then. He quickly did a quick scan of the room to find Sherlock and the source of the man’s distress. Sherlock had moved to sit on the coffee table, closer to the TV, his focus completely pinpointed at the screen. His hands were in his hair as if he was frustrated. John then realized it wasn’t an outer source that was plaguing him, it was obvious the current scene playing on screen.

_“No Sam.. it’s you_ _!”_

(Sam looks at Frodo upset) 

 _“Im sorry Sam._ ” 

(Gollum watches from behind Frodo with a sly smile on his face)

(Sam crying) _“But he’s a liar! He’s poisoned you against me.”_

_“You can’t help me anymore.”_

_“You don’t mean that.” Sam says unbelieving._

_“Go home Sam”_

John quickly establish, that this is the scene where Frodo sends Sam away after being manipulated by Gollum into believing he’s not trustworthy.

But he’s still slightly confused and goes to the other side of the coffee table to get a closer on Sherlock. As he faces the detective, John’s heart clenches in his chest when he sees that Sherlock’s eyes are misty with unshed tears, but still fixated on the screen.

“Sherlock!” John exclaims, but in a hushed tone as he sits himself close to the other and places a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Sherlock what’s wrong?”

“Everything! Everything is wrong! How can Frodo just send Sam away like that John? After everything they’ve been through?!” Sherlock cries out, his hands leaving his hair to gesture wildly at the screen. The scene had passed and moved on to the soldiers of Minas Tirith moving out to take back Osgiliath.

John grabbed the remote and paused the movie so he could focus on figuring out why this scene had caused Sherlock so much misery. He turned back to the man and gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze as he tried to explain. “Well.. Frodo is confused and have been convinced by Gollum that Sam isn’t as good a man, or you know hobbit, as he thought him to be.”

This didn’t calm Sherlock at all. On the contrary, the detective almost leaped to his feet and started to pace in a tight circle. Something he usually only did when a case, in which time was of the essence, put him under extreme pressure. “I don’t understand.. Sam and Frodo have been best friends for centuries! How can this Gollum creature undo all that by just a few calculated, manipulative moves? Sam has his flaws sure, but..” Sherlock paused, a single tear making its way down one of his cheeks before continuing; “Sam and Frodo belong together, they work _so_ much better together. They need each other to survive! Frodo should know.. He should know that all Sam has ever don have been to help and protect him. How can he not see that?” Sherlock ended his small rant with a hoarse mutter. His eyes cloudy with sadness, doubt and confusion.

John had watched the whole thing with a tight face. Trying to suppress the tightening knot in his stomach and throat as Sherlock grew more and more distressed.  As the whole thing progressed John slowly realized that this had absolutely nothing to do with the movie. Sherlock was projecting his own fear of abandonment and John knew, he just knew, it was specifically his fear of John abandoning him. It was heartbreaking to watch. John knew, that whenever Donovan, Anderson or anyone else for that matter tried to ‘warn’ him or explain to him how bad a man Sherlock was and how he should get away from him as soon as possible, it hurt Sherlock tremendously. At first John truly believed the detective didn’t give a damn about what other people thought of him, but as he got to know Sherlock better, he saw the hidden truth. For while Sherlock did a great job hiding his feelings behind a façade of indifference, he had the most expressive eyes John had ever witnessed in his life and once he’d learned to decipher those it really wasn’t all that hard to read Sherlock.

John couldn’t stand by anymore though. He quickly stood and placed himself in front of the still pacing man, stopping him in his tracks. Sherlock looked him in the eyes for the first time since John awoke and the look the doctor received nearly broke his heart. Sherlock looked so sad and lost that John simply couldn’t help himself but gently cup Sherlock’s face to make sure the man would listen and not turn away from him as he talked; “Yes Sherlock, Frodo should know. He should know Sam is the greatest and best hobbit he’s ever met and will ever meet. But while he might see he does not observe. He’s caught in this moment of weakness and makes the biggest mistake in his life to send Sam away. Believe me he’ll regret that decision very quickly.” John managed to offer a soft smile as he continued; “But spoiler alert, this is a very shorth and temporary thing. Very soon they’ll get back together and Frodo realizes he can’t possible go on without Sam by his side.”

Sherlock looked a little skeptical, but at least he’d calmed down a bit. John’s gentle touch and insistent eye contact helping greatly. “Really?” He asks in a small voice. John smiles a little wider, his eyes going soft as he answers. “Really, I promise. Frodo have been burdened with many things, but he finds out he can face them all as long as he has Sam with him and..” John paused for a short while, his heart hammering just a tad harder as he considered his next words with care; “And I think the bond Frodo and Sam shares are like no other. One might even go as far as to say, that Frodo loves Sam with all his heart, though he might not be the best at showing it.”

At that Sherlock’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but quickly reigned himself in once again. John noticed him swallowing before speaking softly. “Love? You think Frodo.. Loves Sam?”

Was that hope John just saw flash in Sherlock’s eyes? Only one way to find out _‘time to man up Watson’_ John thought to himself and stepped a tad closer, his hands lowering from Sherlock’s face to gently rest on each of the detective’s sides. He made sure not to go too low and still kept his hands in a respectful height, but low enough to make his intension clear. “Yes, I do.. I think Frodo loved Sam from the moment he saw him, but always been too scared to ruin their friendship to act on it.” 

John watched as Sherlock swallowed once again, but noticed how his pupils dilated slightly. “I think.. Sam loves Frodo too, but never deemed himself worthy to even imaging Frodo would ever look at him that way. That one that Frodo would come to his senses and realize Sam isn’t what he wants in life and move on to someone better. Someone more.. Worthy.”

“Never! Frodo would never do that and no one will ever convince him otherwise.” John said with a confident voice as his heart hammered away in his chest. Was this really happening?

Apparently so because suddenly John is hauled forward, closing all distance between him and Sherlock and his lips mashed together with the taller man’s. Sherlock’s hands are fisted tightly in John sweater and John responds by wrapping his arms completely around Sherlock’s middle pulling them even closer together as the kiss deepens. They part after several minutes and lock eyes, both breathing slightly deeper to make up for lack of air during the kiss.

Sherlock is the first one to break the silence; “John.. I need to tell you something.” He says gently, his eyes never breaking away from John’s. John let’s one of his hands caress the detective’s back softly as he replies; “And what’s that Sherlock?” Sherlock’s hold on John’s jumper tightens a bit more. “I wasn’t really talking about Frodo and Sam.” He said with a straight face. John couldn’t help letting out a laugh. “Yeah I figured as much Sherlock. I wasn’t really either. Still meant what I said though.” Sherlock eyed him a bit skeptically once again. “Soo.. Just to make matters clear. You.. Love me?” he almost whispered the last part as he was afraid he’d just misunderstood the whole situation. John smiled fondly and brought one of his hands back to caress a sharp cheekbone. “Yes Sherlock, I love you. I love you so much.” John confessed for real this time, making sure Sherlock heard every word. Once again Sherlock’s eyes portrayed a world of emotions, happiness, joy, bewilderment, surprise and something John sincerely hoped was love as well. His hopes were answers quickly though as Sherlock answered with; “I love you too John. I just never dared to dream you felt the same.”

John couldn’t help but pull Sherlock into yet another kiss after their shared confession. This movie night had turned out so much better than he’d ever imagined. When they parted once again John wanted to make one last thing clear; “I promise you Sherlock, I’ll never throw you aside or leave you. Nothing will chase me away, know that.” Sherlock smiled that wide smile only John could pull from him. “Thank you John.”

And even though Sherlock had heard those words before and ended up heartbroken each time, he fully believed those words, because this was John. John loved him and he loved him back.


End file.
